We cannot understand ourselves in depth unless we understand the time in which we live. The part carries the characteristics of the Whole, and if it seeks to become conscious of its role and place within it, it will need to understand more about the Whole. And this Whole is changing—and this change, too, needs to be understood.
On an outer level, we can observe this change in the development of technologies, and especially in the presence of the internet, which has enormous consequences for the way we connect with others, make decisions, entertain ourselves, apply for jobs, conduct business, and so on.
On an inner level, this change concerns the development of our shared soul, the renewal of the manifestation of archetypes, and the transformation of the collective layers of our unconscious. It is not only what our eyes see that is changing—our very eyes are changing, and the way in which they see. In science, this is called a paradigm, and in essence it is nothing other than the “glasses” through which we perceive and interpret the world.
One very important aspect of this change concerns the values that regulate our relationships and, in practice, everything we do. We can observe how the previously dominant role of the community over the individual is giving way to the opposite tendency: the individual now has the power to influence the whole to no lesser degree. In essence, this is the affirmation of the values of freedom and individuality.
The paradigm of rationality and reason, which dominated for centuries, is now giving way to the recognition of the exceptional importance of emotional and spiritual intelligence as meta-capacities that determine the extent to which our other abilities—including intellectual ones—will be manifested in the outer world. This, in turn, makes it possible to practise the values of humanity, care, and mutual understanding among people.
The changes I have been reading about in books on the future are large-scale. According to them, these changes began to occur episodically centuries ago and are now happening ever more widely, even though they are still only at their beginning. And we, human beings, are not only experiencing these changes—we are bringing them about. All of us together are bringing about this transition. This is not an easy process, because it passes through the resistance of the status quo outside us, as well as through the resistance of old patterns of thinking and perception within us: through fear of difference, rejection, and inadequacy; through walking along new and untrodden paths and the absence of clear signposts showing us where to go. And yet we are doing it—each in our own way. Like cells in one common organism, we are laying down our small, daily cellular efforts so that this organism may grow, develop, and change.
I could speak at length about what I have been reading lately on the changes in the time we live in. But I will focus on one book that describes most precisely the soulful and psychic aspects of this change—Indigo Adults by Kabir Jaffé and Ritama Davidson. Using the language of astrology and presenting these changes as a transition from the Age of Pisces to the Age of Aquarius, it offers a priceless key to understanding ourselves as part of the processes of this transition.
These are truly vast spans of time compared to the brevity of our human lives. Yet if we manage to see ourselves as part of them, we will not only understand ourselves and what we are going through more deeply, but will also recognise the great courage it takes to be born in precisely such times—times in which we are bringing about the change of energies within ourselves.
Here is the description of this transition through quotations from the book:
“The energies of Pisces have been influencing us for the last 2,000 years. Contemporary civilisation and our psyche are still strongly shaped by them. The birth of Christianity marked the beginning of the Age of Pisces and coloured the past two millennia. The symbol of the Piscean Age is the fish. The double fish-tail was an early sign of Christianity, and Christ, tortured on the cross for the salvation of all humanity, is a vivid symbol of the qualities inherent in Pisces: self-sacrifice, suffering, salvation, and spiritual growth.”
— Indigo Adults, Kabir Jaffé & Ritama Davidson
For me, it is very important to know that the departing Age of Pisces is the age of Christianity, because the change in the time we live in is closely connected with a change in our spiritual beliefs—and these are a fundamental part of every person’s psyche, even when one is not consciously aware of it. To clarify what kind of belief is involved and what is passing away, here is further description of the energy of Pisces from the same book:
*“Pisces is a water sign. Water is the element of feelings and emotions. Pisces is connected with religion and spirituality (through the seventh, or crown chakra), with the emotions associated with family and the child who lives deep within us (through the second, or sacral chakra), and with the heart, from which love and compassion flow (through the fourth, or heart chakra).
The influence of Pisces has directed humanity’s attention toward love, spirituality, and the beyond in an emotional, innocent, and childlike way.
This sign has played an important role in human evolution. It accounts for the shift from the warlike energies of Aries toward the love and forgiveness preached by Christ. Thus the old principle ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’ was replaced by a new understanding: to turn the other cheek when struck and to love one’s neighbour as oneself.”*
— Indigo Adults, Kabir Jaffé & Ritama Davidson
It becomes clear that the Age of Pisces, although now passing, has played an important role in the development and evolution of humanity. Even if in a childlike emotional way, it has brought the energy of love and compassion and has affirmed the values of community:
*“The emotional nature of Pisces created an emotional approach to spirit. It emphasised communities bound by empathy; it placed great importance on faith and trust rather than on understanding. This sign symbolises submission and self-sacrifice, compassion and forgiveness—central messages of the Christian age.
But Pisces is also the sign of self-denial and self-punishment (mea culpa—literally ‘I am guilty’), where suffering is perceived as a purification of the soul. This notion is rooted in the idea that our personal joy on Earth must be sacrificed for the sake of eternal happiness in the other world.”*
— Indigo Adults, Kabir Jaffé & Ritama Davidson
For me, this description of the Age of Pisces is not an abstract theory, but something very concrete. I have clients with strong spiritual longings and beliefs who are literally crushed by feelings of guilt and sinfulness. Their tendency toward self-negation is immense, and the boundaries between them and others are almost nonexistent—precisely because of the attitude of self-denial. Their relationship to Christianity is usually not explicitly expressed, but reveals itself through the values they hold, in which one can see love for others in its Christian forms: self-denial, self-sacrifice, a constant sense of guilt, sin, and worthlessness. The burden they carry on their shoulders consists of the archetypal energies of Pisces and Christianity.
Yet the time has come for this to change. If I draw a parallel with Morgan Scott Peck’s ideas about the four stages of consciousness, the transition we are currently undergoing is a transition from religious to atheistic consciousness—from faith in external authorities and sacred scriptures to faith in one’s own experience and observation. This transition continues to unfold.
“At present we stand on the cusp between Pisces and Aquarius. The energies of Aquarius are already being reflected on Earth. Yet their influence is still weak compared to that of Pisces, which continues to dominate. This is due to two reasons: first, we continue to follow the Piscean structure of civilisation built over the past 2,000 years; and second, although weakening, the energies of this sign still exert their influence on Earth. At the same time, the energy of Aquarius is steadily increasing and bringing us new paradigms, ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving. Therefore, we live in a dynamic and exciting time in which both energies are at work.”
— Indigo Adults, Kabir Jaffé & Ritama Davidson
For me, it is deeply moving to observe the changes in the time we live in. And if we are now only at the very beginning—can you imagine what it will be like when the energy of Aquarius fully takes its place among us, human beings?
Kameliya Hadzhiyska
Note: The quotations are translated from Bulgarian and are not presented as verbatim citations.
